‘Losing My Religion’ is one of my favorite karaoke songs of all time. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but sing along. It’s melancholic yet catchy; the somber lyrics and the cheerful melodies create a perfect theme song for a tired autumn afternoon when you just want the world to end.
I sang it so many times, but I never looked up its real meaning. I had a vague idea of what it could be, or at least, it had a certain, personal meaning for me. I believe in creative interpretation, that everyone has their own way to connect with a song, a memory, a feeling, or a thought process, and it could be as far as the artist’s intent as possible, yet it’s still valid. And when you truly connect with an artwork, learning about the original intent can break or hurt that connection, so it’s always a risky move.
Yet I finally decided to learn the original meaning of this gem so close to my heart. So, what does it even mean to lose someone’s religion? And what is this song all about? If you are willing to take this risk with me, let’s find out!
About R.E.M.
R.E.M. was formed in 1880, by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe. They attended the same university and met in a record store, where they started bonding over their similar taste in music.
The alternative rock band released 6 albums and slowly became a cult success in the US before they reached international recognition with their 7th album, ‘Out of Time’ (1991). This album brought us the band’s most well-known songs, namely Losing My Religion and Shiny Happy People, two songs that couldn’t be farther from each other in terms of depth.
After the incredibly successful ‘Out of Time’, R.E.M. released 8 additional albums and finally disbanded in 2011.
The Songwriting Process
The band didn’t have to work too hard to create this hit, the song practically wrote itself – the iconic, and unmistakable mandoline tunes were the result of Peter Buck’s attempt to learn a new instrument.
He recorded his practice, which turned out to be essential in the making: “When I listened back to it the next day, there was a bunch of stuff that was really just me learning how to play mandolin, and then there’s what became ‘Losing My Religion,’ and then a whole bunch more of me learning to play mandolin,” said Buck in an interview.
Once the mandoline melodies were done, Micheal Stipe worked on the lyrics for about one hour and recorded the vocals in one go – another unique element that makes this song so special.
The Story and Meaning of ‘Losing My Religion’
Stipe used an old expression once used in the southern regions of the US, “lost my religion”, which has nothing to do with religion itself; it means losing your temper or feeling frustrated, or desperate.
The song itself is about unrequited love, and ultimately it didn’t mean to describe Stipe’s personal life at the time. When writing the lyrics, he thought about an imaginary character, a person desperately in love with someone, who perhaps isn’t even aware of their existence. Our hero imagined an entire lifetime of a relationship with the subject of his admiration, while in reality, he’s hiding his true feelings.
Stipe recently revealed an interesting detail about the whole concept: “So, what I was pulling from was being the shy wallflower who hangs back at the party, or at the dance, and doesn’t go up to the person that you’re madly in love with and say, ‘I’ve kind of got a crush on you. How do you feel about me?’ So there’s this whole relationship that’s happening only in the person’s mind. And he doesn’t know whether he’s said too much or hasn’t said enough. So he’s like, in the corner of the dance floor, watching everyone dancing, watching the love of his life, on the dance floor dancing with everyone, ’cause that’s the most exciting person. Or he’s in the kitchen, behind the refrigerator.”
‘Losing My Religion’ Music Video and Lyrics
Let’s enjoy this masterpiece together! If you are like me, just follow the lyrics below and sing along!
Lyrics:
Oh life is bigger
It’s bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper, of every waking hour
I’m choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this the hint of the century
Consider this the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I’ve said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, fly, try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
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